Sunday, 29 November 2009

Of course half the fun when you are thinking of making something is getting everything out to have a look at and choose what to use.Little bits and pieces that have been collected over time that have been tucked away waiting for a new project.

I love these collage pictures - you can do wonderful things with Picassa 3 and they just seem to capture the idea of collections beautifully

Lots of lovely ribbons from Liv in Newton Abbot Market and the Christmas house in East Ogwell.

Lots of beads from broken necklaces just waiting for a new role!

With so much to choose from and my way of usually choosing the simpler options it is always interesting and so rewarding to have the time to choose carefully. At times like this it is so easy to reflect back to my working life as a busy Mum of three. My wonderful Nursery Nurse Rachel used to have the job of wrapping Birthday presents for me as we drove. She got very adept at it but finesse was not possible. She has chosen a very different life with her lovely family since those times as well!

So here a little while later are the finished results to be sent back to the UK on Monday for a very special person as she decorates her Christmas House.

One with a red tassle and one with a gold.

So now its pack it up and send it on its way just to say We Love You !

Thursday, 26 November 2009

People who have visited us will understand this completely-- there really is nowhere to shop! If you need a regular shopping fix then it definitely isn't the place for you. There are wonderful hams,olive oils.fish and vegetables in abundance but shopping for the sake of shopping . NO! And that suits me just fine-- quirky I know!!

However, on a Thursday Andy goes to the Gym and does Circuit Training and I went to Parque Commercial. A small complex on the beach about five miles from our village. Sadly many Spanish shops are really struggling because of the poor exchange rate. I wandered around and thought of Christmas and suddenly a bit of creativity stirred!!

Here unlike the pound shops at home they are called the "Penny Peseta" shops. I love them and tonight I bought these for sixty pence with a project in mind.

I will get back with hopefully something special for someone very special at a very special time of year !

This winter in Spain I have so enjoyed crocheting. I have loved having a lovely stash of wool so that a rainbow of colours can be woven into the work.

Of course at this time of year most of the finished items are now ready to be packed lovingly in pretty paper and tucked away ready for Christmas morning. So pictures will have to wait until after they have been under the tree!

But I have finished one more lapacuddlyghan in all the colours for a little boy. I will buy a beautiful book to tuck in with it and then it will be all ready for a very Special little boy to cuddle up with at Story Time.

Have a look, her furry friends are delightful. I knew from a friend that her children go the school where I used to teach. So I left her a comment and, lo, and behold one of my old friends and work colleague from those times contacted me via email.

The story gets even more intertwined when she told me of her latest post on her blog. She actually based it on the tiny village where we live in the U.K. I have lived there for nearly 25 years and a wonderful lady in the Village puts on a Christmas Fair every year.

So there, for me to see, so far away from my home in the UK are things so familiar and precious to me , even my late mothers cottage!

I spent a lot of time thinking about bringing up my three children there. A wonderful place for children to thrive. I thought about my marriage in the village church. The children were christened there and we look at the same church every morning when we wake in Ogwell. My Mother and dear Stepfather loved the village and my Mother-In - Law still lives in a beautiful converted barn in the village.So thinking of villages we went to one of our favourite ones here in Spain yesterday. We always say we are going up the mountain bacause it is high in the Sierra de Los Filabres. We drive up one pretty route then reach the fertile plain where the village is situated and then drive home down the other side of the mountain. It always makes me think of the Song " The Bear Goes over the Mountain!!"

I love our days out in the Sunshine Bus and yesterday the sun was shining and everywhere looked particularly beautiful.

We did not know that Spain is the 2nd most mountainous country in Europe but it is easy to see why when you travel a little way inland. Photos of the sheer space and vastness do not do its beauty justice!

From high on the mountains you can look down all the way to the sea!

Almond trees growing, so important to the local economy.

At the entrance to the village there is the well. This would have been used not only for the collection of water but also for washing clothes on the stone slabs undeneath the arches.

The oranges are really beginning to ripen and taste absolutely delicious. As you drive past the orange groves the bright orange fruits look like jewels amongst the dark leaves.

This restaurant recently won an award for the best Tapas in Andalucia but we wanted to sit in the glorious November Sunshine so headed on through the village to the square.

All is quiet on one side as the Shops,banks and offices are closed, but on the other side just what we were looking for.

So leaving Andy to get some liquid refreshment I set off exploring up the back streets.

And there were lovely things to see. The Church.It is dedicated to the Virgen del Rosario and was built in the 19th Century.

Lubrin has a market every week and a variety of shops.On the 20th of January each year it has The Fiesta del Pan or the Festival of Bread. I would love to go on our return after Christmas. However on a Sunday it was lust lovely to wander

Wonderful old vintage signs. None of the branding that Royal Mail has undergone!

Road or Street of the ovens!!

One of the old houses in the village.

Views over the rooftops.

And some pretty windows and doors

Then a last look up to the clock on the hill and back to the square for the best Tapas we have had in Spain-- and we have sampled a few little plates!

Here is the selection we tried yesterday.

We are lucky enough to have some friends who live very close to Lubrin so we spent a happy couple of hours catching up with cake and a cuppa and of course a little look around there beautiful Cortijo.

And then it was goodbye to Lubrin.

And down the other side of the mountain to see what we could see!

There are still some lovely developement projects here but not for us we are too busy exploring!

So with wonderful memories of East Ogwell still in my mind it is lovely to go villages near our Spanish Home!

Saturday, 21 November 2009

These Collages just remind me of the processes involved when I have been crafting. When I spent so much time with "littlies" the doing used to be the most important bit. Often they forgot the end product but talked about the integral processes for ages.

I am beginning to think that a new disease should be reported to the World Health Organisation. It is called Blog Hopping. I seem to have caught it badly and the symptoms are obvious! One of the good side effects is that your creativity is given a serious boost. I think Lucy in Attic24 is inspirational and if you have not visited her yet pop in .http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/

You will love it but beware, from here to is easy to catch the Blog Hopping Disease!!

Well I saw these delightful birds there and have loved making them.

A lovely flock but I managed to get some close ups before they flew away!

Crocheted with the beautiful Noro felted wool.

A trio of twitterings!

Another gorgeous Noro Bird .

One of my favourites!

A little one with a Tropical feel !

What a perfect place to perch!

One of the little birds flew a bit further down the street and decided to roost just outside our friends door. She did not notice it straight away but when she did she declared it to be the best thing I have ever made for her so thanks Lucy, a lot of joy has flown around here lately!

Tutorial for a Crochet Snake!

A Pattern for Baby Mittens!

About Me

I am retired and loving having the time to be creative again.
I have been happily married for 35 years and have a wonderful family who give us so much to talk about and laugh with.
My earliest memories are spending time with my maternal Grandma who when faced with keeping a lively grandaughter quiet was to involve her in every Craft learnt by a North Devon farmers wife. So I learnt to knit, crochet, darn, make rugs and cook. I still love all these activities and always like a project on the go! I find it almost impossible to sit and do nothing.
I love sharing my life between the UK and Spain.
Favourite things, mainly simple things but a very wide variety from wool to chocolate. from the sea to Paradors. Spending time with special friends and little ones to walking
A good friend describes me as quirky. I hope I am.